The Sandy Contest

Feb

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Many of you know I placed second in the Sandy Writers’ Contest two years ago. (That’s me in the photo, I’m the one in the middle with the red shirt.) I also had a fabulous learning experience at the Crested Butte Writers Conference, which sponsors the contest. I wanted to let you know, I received word from the contest administrator that 1. There are only six more days for you to enter this year and 2. There are few entries in almost every category!

This contest is so worth your while. It doesn’t cost much for the opportunity to have professional and semi-professional judges critique your material. Of course, if you get to the final round, you will have an agent or editor read it and, if you go to the conference, you can pitch to that agent or editor.

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Jun

27, 2011 |

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A friend sent this to me the other day as a link labeled “Something to bring us hope” and it did. This is a wonderful article on the need for paper books and it’s well worth your read. Many thanks, Carolin!

Another item to give you hope and encouragement: you all have heard me speak many times on the Crested Butte Writers Conference and my experience there last year. I learned so much – about writing, but also about myself. Well, I just discovered that Theresa Rizzo, the amazing founder and organizer for the Sandy Writers Competition and the Crested Butte Conference is also not published. Her post this week and this video shows her spirit, beauty and wisdom in the face of all she’s experienced and gave me so much hope and strength, I had to share it. Here’s the video, but I’d have to say her blog on the topic is even more worth the read:

And on in a nonsequitur, I’ve been meaning to share @podtribebooks twitter account with you all. In their own words:PodTribe is a publisher and online retailer of eBooks featuring an exclusive network of authors primarily based in Asia.

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Jan

12, 2011 |

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It’s contest season, folks. Let’s see what’s cooking:

At Margo Berendson’s “Writing at High Altitudes” you’ve got an awesome contest to help push yourself and a fellow author. Margo is offering a commenter a $30 Amazon giftcard for their comment regarding her New Year’s resolution word count goal. Read her post, get inspired.

Many of you know I entered and won second place for fantasy in the 2010 Sandy Writer’s Competition last year. It’s time to send in your chapters for 2011 and I can’t recommend doing this enough. Seriously. For $30, you get constructive criticism from three published authors AND if you place in the top three positions, your ms goes before an agent. Ginger Clark was my agent-judge last year and she requested my first 50 pages. Pretty darn cool. Check out the competition’s guidelines and get your work in. The deadline is February 13th.

Unless you’re dead or uninterested in writing, you’re aware the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Competition opens on January 24th and closes to entries on February 6th OR when they receive 5,000 entries in a given age range (adult or YA). This competition is FREE and as I posted a few days ago, there are communities at the site who will critique your opening chapters for you while you await the judges’ decisions. Two years ago they helped me polish my opening and made winning second place in the Sandy possible. This contest is well worth your time and you have nothing to lose.

The annual Chase the Dream contest (for you Romance authors) will be rescheduled this year. Make sure you check their website periodically for more information, but if I hear when it will be, I’ll try to post the dates here, too.

Addendum! Maria Zannini was so kind as to let me know about her critique contest! Be sure to go there next for a chance to win a free critique!

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Apr

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I’m still floored about this. I got a call from the administrator of The Sandy Writing Contest last night. I’m a finalist! Woot! I have a week to get my ms polished up as best I can.

Alas, as many of you know, my thumb drive with all my updated files died a week ago today. And I now have comfirmation – my drive will not return as a zombie. Which means this will likely be my last post this week. I have seven days to re-do three weeks of work. I’m REALLY sorry to do it to you. I will try to slip in stuff if I can.

My name is Victoria and I am addicted to blogging. LOL Have a great week guys, and thanks to everyone for helping me come this far!